Submitted by: Doug Brent
Date Submitted:  03/16/2025

What have you heard?:
I understand that we shouldn’t call 911 from our cell phones, presumably because that would reach 911 in our home communities instead of in Mesa. Rather, we should phone the guardhouse and they will phone 911. Seems clunky but makes sense.

The Truth:

Doug –

I went to co-pilot for an answer this is what it reported:

No, cell phone 911 calls are not tied to your home area. When you call 911 from a cell phone, the call is routed to the nearest emergency call center based on the location of the cell tower your phone is connected to. This means your call will be directed to the appropriate local emergency services, even if you’re far from home.

However, it’s important to note that the dispatcher may not automatically know your exact location. They might receive the location of the cell tower, which could be some distance away from you. That’s why it’s crucial to provide your location details as accurately as possible when making a 911 call from a cell phone.

If you’re using Wi-Fi calling, the call may be routed based on the address you registered with your carrier for emergency services. This is something you can set up in your phone’s settings.

Bill Parker
ROVA Rumors

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Submitted by: Eydie Stumpf
Date Submitted:  02/19/2025

What have you heard?:
I heard that residents can still use the Hawes gate.  What’s the truth?

The Truth:

Eydie –

Residents can use either the Hawes or the University entrance.

Bill Parker
ROVA Rumors

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Submitted by: Shaun Ullyett
Date Submitted:  02/19/2025

What have you heard?:
Rental contracts state that renters are responsible for electrical/plumbing issues from specific points (first on/of valve where plumbing comes out of the ground; I think for electrial renters are responsible from th pedestal to the home).
My wife and I have spent THOUSANDS on repairs to infrastructure that we shouldn’t have to. Electrical surges from the system causing breakers to be blown, but still allowing surge to enter home. That cost us for a new TV, a new microwave, and a new fan – plus the cost of replacing a breaker and installing a, “all house” surge protector.
And just recently a water leak from aging pvc/plastic piping in the plumbing octopus. By law, the plumbing company could not just replace the cracked pipe, the had to replace everything from “active up to code” to “active up to code” ($1,200).
All that leads to the question – Is ELS renting spaces for park models and RVs, KNOWING that the infrastructure is not up to code. Should ELS be paying for these rpairs instead of home owners?

The Truth:

Shaun –

Your land lease agreement with VP sets out the geography of responsibility for water, electricity and sewer. That lease answers your question of who is responsible to pay for certain repairs. I’m sure everyone is aware the infrastructure in Phase 1 is old and probably inadequate in many ways. The problem you and every other buyer of a home has is the old English saying, which mirrors the law on the subject. “Let the buyer beware.”

Bill Parker
ROVA Rumors

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Submitted by: Linda West
Date Submitted:  02/19/2025

What have you heard?:
Kathy has been “acting” as Activities Director since Ashley left. I thought the by-laws say that residents can’t hold manager/supervisor positions. What hasn’t she been replaced? Previously we were told ELS was interviewing but nothing ever happened with that.

The Truth:

Linda –

I don’t know whether Kathy still carries the label of “acting”.  There is nothing in the ROVA Bylaws that addresses this issue.  I assume Kathy is the activities director until someone replaces her, acting or not.

Bill Parker
ROVA Rumors

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Submitted by: Emily Dunning
Date Submitted:  02/19/2025

What have you heard?:
Wondering if I am responsible for painting my unit before selling?

The Truth:

Emily –

It is my understanding that in some cases VP management requires that a house be painted in order to sell.  You would have to check with the business office when selling to find out if your house requires painting.  It is also my understanding that it is between the seller and the buyer as to who is responsible for painting.  That would probably be a factor in agreeing upon a price.

Bill Parker
ROVA Rumors

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Submitted by: Bill Egeberg
Date Submitted:  02/05/2025

What have you heard?:
There has been a lot of discussion about the new $4.00 Park Management Fee being charge.  What is it, and why is it just now happening?

The Truth:

All –

As per my conversation with Airebeam, the $4.00 covers the cost of maintaining and providing internet services in the park.  This fee became applicable when we hit a certain level of service, which means a large number of customers.  They were unable to provide me with exactly what that number was.

While I was on the phone with them, I also asked about any specials they might be offering.  I was able to get an additional $10.00 per month to cover the cost of my router rent.  If you have not yet received an email from Airebeam offering additional discounts found in their Exclusive Renewal Offer, please contact them to take advantage of these cost saving options.

AireBeam Fiber Internet
520-510-0909 | support@airebeam.net

I also received a follow-up email in regards to my question:

Thank you for reaching out with your questions about the Park Management Fee. This is a standard pass-through charge that helps cover costs associated with providing and maintaining internet service within your RV park. Some customers may not have noticed this fee until a certain level of service activation was reached, at which point it was applied consistently to all applicable accounts.

Please note that this fee only applies when your account is on standard fiber service. If your service is placed on Vacation Hold, the Park Management Fee will not be charged during that period.

For full transparency, this fee is disclosed on the FCC Broadband Label for your specific fiber service plan. To locate this information, please visit http://airebeam.com/broadband-label and scroll down to the FAQ section titled “Fiber Broadband Labels.”

We truly appreciate having you as a customer, and if you have any further questions, we’re happy to help.

Best regards,
AireBeam Billing Department
support@airebeam.com | 520-510-0909

I hope this helps to answer everyone’s question about this new fee.

Bill Egeberg
ROVA President

Submitted by: Linda Hanson
Date Submitted:  01/27/2025

What have you heard?:
Are all residents required to have homeowners insurance?  And renters have rental insurance?

The Truth:

Linda –

The statement on page 6 of the most current Rules and Regulations, shows that homeowners in ViewPoint are required to Insure their place, at $25k minimum, or up to the value of the property.  The front desk in the administration building has copies of these rules and regulations available.

The current rules were written in 2022, and will be updated this year, some time in the next couple of months. I would not expect this rule to change, or be modified.  It is possible that ELS, the owner of ViewPoint, will require owners to list ELS as co-insured on the owners policy.  I have seen multiple examples of companies adding this requirement.

Thanks for asking,
Mel Kuipers
ROVA Vice-President Emeritus

Submitted by: Bob Fairbank
Date Submitted:  01/22/2025

What have you heard?:
I want one. I heard there is no longer a bar at the concerts and dances. NOT ACCEPTABLE. Make it happen. Thanks.

The Truth:

Robert –

You are correct, ViewPoint cancelled their liquor license last spring, so alcohol at the ballroom is prohibited.

Managers of the Park have hired a private company to explore the best option for them going forward.  There is no estimate about how long that will take, or what the solution will be.

Given the Parks lost revenue from not having a bar, I think they are highly motivated to reach a solution soon.

Thanks for asking,
Mel

Submitted by: Jeffrey Olwig
Date Submitted:  03/13/2024

What have you heard?:
Has rova gotten the news media involved with rent increases?

The Truth:

Jeffrey –

ROVA has not contacted the media about that issue.  ROVA is regularly lobbying ViewPoint management, ELS managers in Phoenix corporate offices, and exploring legal options with the many lawsuits on this issue.

ROVA has added a board member specifically to move ROVA forward on this issue. This is a top priority.

Thanks for asking.
Mel

Submitted by: Lawrence Hearn
Date Submitted:  03/03/2024

What have you heard?:
VP realizes the loose gravel and rocks on all our streets is a problem and plan to contract with a company that sweeps other 55+ communities twice a year. Some parks sweep more frequently

The Truth:

Lawrence –

Submitted by: Kent Salo
Date Submitted:  02/01/2024

What have you heard?:
Hello, the manager has now provided information about the new Airbeam service but she did not clarify one of the biggest questions about the new service: does or will this new service change our Dish TV programming that is included in our rent.
Does Rova have the capability to get this question answered? Thanks for your time, K.

The Truth:

Kent –

Submitted by: Carol Harding
Date Submitted:  02/01/2024

What have you heard?:
We plan to sell our unit which has a contrasting color stripe. I have been told by the office that when I submit the form for site inspection and approval to sell it will not be approved unless we paint or the buyer agrees to do it. They admit this “rule” is not in writing but it has been decided that the units look better without the stripe that most of us in older units have. Has this been challenged? Do we have any recourse?

The Truth:

Carol –

Submitted by: K. Mox
Date Submitted:  01/24/2024

What have you heard?:
Attended the General Meeting tonight. There was a lady, I believe Carol was her name, who, very eloquently, relayed the circumstance of her grandson and the green fee he was going to have to pay because he was a guest not a resident. Now she has been told they are lowering the non-resident rate because tee times are not being filled. Fact or rumor? Thanks for your time….

The Truth:

K. Mox –

Submitted by: Bob Brungardt
Date Submitted:  01/15/2024

What have you heard?:
rumor says rova negotiated away our free cable pkg, an we will now have added exspense to get cable, please tell me its not true thx bob

The Truth:

Bob –

Submitted by: Rosalie Shaw
Date Submitted:  12/01/2023

What have you heard?:
Will there be bingo at Viewpoint this season???

The Truth:

All –

Submitted by: Russ Rienecker
Date Submitted:  12/01/2023

What have you heard?:
Rumor has it a class action lawsuit was filed in Florida against ELS, Cal AM, and others regarding rent coercion.

The Truth:

Russ –

Submitted by: Carla Dunton
Date Submitted:  11/27/2023

What have you heard?:
Heard Fat Willy’s might be closing. I sure hope not…truth please. 🙂

The Truth:

Carla –

Submitted by: Lawrence H Hearn
Date Submitted:  11/05/2023

What have you heard?:
There is much confusion and multiple understanding about new requirements when a unit is sold. Some say when unit is sold either the buyer or seller must paint the accent stripe to one of the new approved colors. Others say the entire unit must be painted and no accent stripe. There are other versions too.
It would be helpful if VP management would publish the new rules regarding paint.
Thank you.

The Truth:

Lawrence –

Thanks for noting the confusion. When any of the units are offered for sale, the Park Management is notified and conducts an inspection of the property. This needs to happen prior to any sale, and usually takes a few days. Based on that inspection, the Park may or may not require painting of the outside. Usually they don’t require any painting, but if the property is worn or unpleasant looking, the Park can require painting the stripe OR painting the whole property. They can also require cleanup including weed removal. If there is any painting done, it must be in a CAVCO approved color. The front desk has paint chip samples of those colors. Note this rule applies to park models and also manufactured homes.

If painting is required, either the seller or the buyer can assume responsibility to complete the work. The painting must be completed within six months of the sale. Remember that not only does the home need to be inspected by the Park, the buyers also need to submit an application and be approved to own and live in View Point.

Hope this helps,
Mel Kuipers

Submitted by: Rosalie Shaw
Date Submitted:  10/27/2023

As some of you might already know, the train was towed back to the paint shop this morning, and is expected to be finished and back in operation for the Holiday Lights Tours in December.

In addition to the amazing paint job being done by Auto Painting Plus, the train will now have comfy new bench seats, LED lighting, a working smoke stack and a whoo-whoo train whistle.

A big round of applause to members of the Bingo Board of Directors in pushing this matter to resolution.

Submitted by: Bev King
Date Submitted:  09/11/2023

We received a notice from the office about the schedule for the street repair/resurfacing. Rumors are that the rain delayed the work, but we have yet to see the new schedule. There was some workers filling cracks on 9/10, but not sure they are going to resurface it because it looks like they have painted new lines. What is going on with the street repair? It would be nice to know the dates so we know when to move our cars so we don’t get blocked in.

The Truth:
Bev –

Thanks for asking.

I talked with the front office Monday 9-11-23, and they reported that all the scheduled street repairs are completed.

The only adjustment to the original schedule, was to move the first days work to the day after the last days work. This adjustment was made because the first day the work was rained out

Thanks for using Rumor Has It…..

Mel Kuipers, ROVA Board Vice-President, #2829

Submitted by: William MacGregor
Date Submitted:  09/03/2023

We just got a notice our rent went up by 8%. This is the second year in a row this has happened.  Is there no recourse for us against this. Is there no rent control protection in Arizona?

The Truth:
William –

Thanks for asking, and sharing your information with Joni.

This question is probably the most asked question over the last year.  Arizona does not have rent control, and the Park can assess based on both inflation and their work to make all rent consistent between property amenities.

In 2022 I saw increases in the mid to high teens, mostly based on a national inflation rate of around 9%.  This year national inflation is around 3% so increases should be much less.  Note that the Park will have their own increase on top of the inflation increase.

Please go back to the previous response to the rent increase question.  In that response, Cheri the Park manager, has invited any resident to meet with her, so she can explain the reasoning for their increase.  Her phone number is included in that original Rumor response.

Thanks for using Rumor Has It…..

Mel Kuipers, ROVA Board Vice-President, #2829

Submitted by: Tim and Connie Phillips
Date Submitted:  06/18/2023

We live near the West side guard gate.  We have watched with interest as the golf club parking lot has been torn up, with very little if any work being done. Now in recent weeks we have seen an expansion of activities as the new water?? pipes are installed across our drive and then runs parellel to the entrance road. Bushes and trees and other landscaping has been removed to allow this to happen. We got an”info flyer” from management about the annual trees to be trimmed. Why haven’t we recieved some kind of update to let us know how our rental money is being spent to solve some water leakage?? issue. As my subject title asks” What the heck is going on” and how much longer are we going to have this facing us on a daily basis? Appreciate any informationt that you can offer. Be Well.

The Truth:
Tim and Connie –

Thanks for asking. There have not been new announcements about the sink hole since May 5 of this year. At that time ROVA report in the Rumors Section of our website the following:

Thanks for your patience….I finally connected with VP Management about the sink hole in Fat Willy’s Parking Lot….The repair is, and has been for some time, under contract to be repaired….while supply chain and worker availability are part of the issue, an even bigger issue is the size of the project…..The drain pipe to be repaired is 300 feet–the same length as a football field….that means a lot more of the parking lot will have to be dug up to complete the project…..To do that, low parking lot parking will have to be removed…..there is no predicted timeline for this project to be completed, but expectations are this summer sometime….Bottom line is that Mesa is not involved in any of the project, because it is on Viewpoint property so is the responsibility of the property owner–Viewpoint.

As you can see when you drive by now, the project is very large, and has required a significant disruption of both the parking lot, and Hawes Road entrance. That certainly explains why they choose to do the project after the snowbird season, when traffic is less. Along with supply chain issues and labor availability explain why the project has taken a long time to start. The original sink hole developed from the monsoons of last summer. They were sizable, and frequent, causing not only this damage but major damage to other resident properties. ViewPoint corporate has certainly addressed this problem. It would not be helpful to speculate how they could have done it better. My personal experience during this project the last few weeks, is that the traffic has moved well, and the flag people are paying close attention to efficiency and safety.

One other rumor I heard is that the rent increase this year was large in order to pay for this project. That is idle speculation without any foundation in fact. Look at the national inflation rate, and you have the explanation of the large rent increases.

Thanks for using Rumor Has It…..

Mel Kuipers, ROVA Board Vice-President, #2829

Submitted by: Robyn Flemming
Date Submitted:  05/17/2023

Is there rent discrimination in the park?

We submitted several examples of it for our street but have not heard anything.

The Truth:
Robyn –

The rent increases this year have been over a big range.  The criteria appears to be different and unique for each property.  ROVA has talked with Cheri, the VP manager, and she has invited any resident to call her for a complete explanation of the increase for a specific property.

Please give her a call at (480) 373-3999 to have her explain your increase. That is the most accurate way to get the info you need.

Thanks for your question.
Mel Kuipers, ROVA Board Vice-President

Submitted by: Kent Salo
Date Submitted:  05/14/2023
The director of golf has said there will be no annual golf memberships available for next season.
Additionally there is no information about how much golf will cost homeowners or their visitors next season.

The Truth:
Kent –

VP managers and golf course managers met to address the issue of T time access.   Many Park golfers have found it difficult or impossible to get T times. They did decide to discontinue annual pass memberships.  They also decided that everyone will have the same access to getting a T time.  There will be no day early access.  T times will continue to be available by phone, but also available on line.  There has been no indication of what prices will be.

Thanks for your question.
Mel Kuipers, ROVA Board Vice-President

Submitted by: Kath Noble
Date Submitted:  05/01/2023
I heard a rumor from a Fat Willy’s employee that the City of Mesa is fighting with Viewpoint/ELS to see who is going to pay for repairing the pipes in the parking lot in front of the restaurant/bar.

Is this true?  It is dangerous, especially at night, as well as ugly, and nothing seems to be happening.

The Truth:
Kath –

Thanks for your patience….I finally connected with VP Management about the sink hole in Fat Willy’s Parking Lot….The repair is, and has been for some time, under contract to be repaired….while supply chain and worker availability are part of the issue, an even bigger issue is the size of the project…..The drain pipe to be repaired is 300 feet–the same length as a football field….that means a lot more of the parking lot will have to be dug up to complete the project…..To do that, low parking lot parking will have to be removed…..there is no predicted timeline for this project to be completed, but expectations are this summer sometime….Bottom line is that Mesa is not involved in any of the project, because it is on Viewpoint property so is the responsibility of the property owner–Viewpoint.

Thanks again for your question.
Mel Kuipers, ROVA Board Vice-President

Submitted by: Karin L Bueling
Date Submitted:  04/18/2023
Rumor has it that the engine of the train needs to be fixed or replaced. Rumor also has it that it is going to be scrapped. Is this so?

The Truth:
Karin – You are not the only resident who has asked this question, so here is the truth of the matter.

In early April the VP Bingo Club Board of Directors presented a proposal to Ashley in the Activities Office to have the train professionally painted.  The total cost was estimated at about $15K.  Ashley loved the idea and said that she could contribute $2K towards the project.  The Bingo Club mistook this as a green light to move forward with the project.  They found someone who would do an AWESOME paint job, and so much more for less than the original estimate.  This was great news!  Even though the Bingo Club had enough funds to cover the entire project, they approached ROVA to see if they would like to participate.  ROVA said yes.  So it was full steam ahead on painting the train.

That’s when the trouble started.  Ashley failed to communicate with Cheri about the project, so the Bingo Club had actually started the project without proper approval.  The Bingo Club pleaded their case to Cheri, but she said no because it was mishandled and she would not allow it to be done.  She pulled the plug on the project and had the train towed back to ViewPoint in the middle of the project.  It is currently sitting in pieces in the dump.

It is unknown at this time if the train will be repaired and put back into service before the holidays.  Cheri’s only comment was to stay tuned for future updates.

This information is direct from the business office.
Joni Courchaine

Submitted by: Sherry Steller
We have heard that RV spots on 4900 and 5000 are closed and new homes will be added. Then we heard people were able to book again next season.
What is the truth?

The Truth:
Sherry.  Thanks for asking.
The current Park plan for 4900 and 5000 is to put rental park models there this year. Viewpoint is not making any of the RV sites on those streets available for use by RVs.
This information is direct from the business office.
Mel Kuipers

Submitted by: Ginny Pare

The Truth:
Ginny… Thanks for asking.  There is nothing new to report at this time, beyond what is in the ROVA April newsletter under security.
No news is common while a police investigation is in progress.
Mel

Submitted by: Roxann Ulland

Roxann …thanks for the question.  Jabba is set up to provide wi-fi services in RV and mobile home parks.  They have an exclusive contract signed by Viewpoint, which means no other providers are allowed to setup here and provide services.  Even Cox communications is not allowed to use the phone lines to provide wi-fi.

That’s the bad news. The good new is many wireless providers who don’t need to put equipment into park in order to provide service, can do so without restriction.  Verizon offers that and I think AT&T does also.

From people I have talked with who use those carriers, the service is fine, and the cost similar Jabba.  I have heard Verizon is not currently available because of the high demand for their product (obviously a lot of people want the service).

I suggest you check with the wireless phone companies. If they can’t serve you, your presence could encourage them to expand their system.
Mel Kuipers #2829